This is How a Fairytale Ends
by Casting Moonlight
Summary: In a world where monsters roam in the dark, there isn't much room for happiness in a Slayer's life. But Rokudo Mukuro never followed the norm and if anyone could manage it he could. If he gets a little help with that from a particular werewolf, no matter that it's the exact monster he is hunting.. well who said you had a say anyway. Rating may Change. Pairings to be revealed.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **This is inspired by the Red Riding Hood story and will feature the Katekyo Hitman Reborn characters. For the sake of the story I will not yet post who the other main character(s) are so there will be no spoilers. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own either Red Riding Hood or Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Seriously. No joke.

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**This is How a Fairytale Ends**

**Prologue**

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_Fairytales are often depicted as sparkling stories of dreams coming true. Of romance and happy endings. In our world, the fairytales are nightmares, leaving stories of blood and death. We have no princes armed with honor and courage. We have Slayers who venture into the darkness armed with the grim uncertainty of return._

_But sometimes, just sometimes, the stories might gift you a moment of irreplaceable happiness in-between. This is one such story._

_The story of a Slayer and a Monster..._

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"_Dear Slayer,_

_As Mayor of Namimori, I send you this message of utmost urgency to ask for your help. We are plagued by a brutal monster who lives in our woods. It is a werewolf of wicked viciousness. Many of our huntsman have been ravaged by the monster and without the ability to hunt in our woods, we cannot feed our children. We ask you to come to our village and slay this monster. Lodgings and meals will be provided for you upon your arrival if you accept this request. Your payment will be given to you upon completion of the task._

_We beg your help, Slayer._

_Sincerely,_

_Mayer of Namimori, Hayashi Yukio_"

The reader of this message smiled, reclining against the cherry oak headboard of the inn he was resting in for the night. From one perilous job to another, he mused to himself as he folded the letter and sat up, striding to the writing desk across the room.

Taking a seat, he pulled out the stationary set supplied by the inn and took a piece of parchment from the box. He dabbed a quill into the inkwell and scratched his reply in a quick flourish. Folding the message, he slipped it into an envelope. He pulled his personal seal out of his pants pocket and closed the envelope, leaving an indigo imprint of a lotus blossom. He turned in his seat, raising a hand and in a swirl of indigo mist formed a beautiful white owl which perched on the table. Tying his message to the owl's leg, he carried it to the window and opened it.

"To Reborn." He said shortly, and the owl took flight into the darkness of night, disappearing over the smoking stacks of the other village buildings. Flipping the request letter in his hands, he sat back down on the bed and considered his new assignment for a moment. Namimori wasn't too far away, but he would need to leave in the early morning if he wanted to make it to the village before nightfall.

The young man reclined back into the bed, a glint of silver catching his eye and he looked over at where he had laid his Slayer Weapon against the wall. The polished silver of his trident glinted ominously in the fireplace's light. The sight made him grin just a bit, knowing it would soon be put to good use again. After re-reading the letter a couple more times he set it on the bedside table and turned on his side, and his grin grew at the material hanging on the hook of the door. Closing his eyes, he chuckled, "Kufufu…"

Gently swaying in the warm summer breeze of the open window was a long, blood-red hooded cloak.

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_And this is the beginning of their fairytale's end..._

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Review if you want to see who this mysterious (come on guys, I hope you know) Slayer is and what he encounters in Namimori Village.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Note at the bottom.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KHR or RRH.

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**This is How a Fairytale Ends**

**Chapter 1**

Early morning found a young diminutive figure riding a pale ash-gray horse on a well-worn country road. Bundled in a vibrantly red cloak, they made a striking figure amongst the green and brown tones of nature. Anyone who passed this person on the road would say many things about them.

"Must be a local, they haven't packed much."

"What a splendid cloak! It must have been expensive, such a beautiful color!"

"That sure is an odd weapon. A gun would be more effect, wouldn't it?"

"How young to be traveling by one's self."

And the purest of heart would murmur to themselves after passing by the rider, "I hope that young lady is safe. It's dangerous for a girl so young to be alone on the road."

Of course, the rider was indeed fairly young but they were not a female in the slightest.

Mukuro Rokudo smirked under the illusionary guise painted over him. To everyone but other Slayers he would seem to be, what was to him, a familiar face. Violet hair cascaded to the waist, pale skin, and a large eye of dark purple while the other hid behind a black eye patch.

It was the face of a treasured friend, one of the few he had ever had. To be honest, one of three. After her death, he had come to using her physical appearance as a disguise. Perhaps it was twisted, but he thought of it as his way of honoring her memory. His dear Nagi.

Shaking away the thoughts of her before he fell into the memory of her death any more deeply, he recalled the reply that Reborn had sent to him.

'_You're acceptance of the job has been noted. So long as we don't hear about excess casualties, you have free reign._'

He chuckled into the morning chilled air. The Arcobaleno Slayer of the Sun always had a way with words. Giving him free reign usually meant an excess casualty or two. Reborn just didn't want him to get caught in the act of it. Not that he ever did but due to the 'incident' ten years ago, he was being watched by quite a few eyes.

It rarely bothered him. They had never stopped him anyway. Being watched by so many eyes, mainly the Arcobaleno Slayers, Mukuro had become renowned as a first-class Slayer. As such a valuable asset he was able to dance on the thin lines that made the rules of Slayer society. The Arcobaleno themselves were one such line, the most talented Slayers in generations, they were able to bend and break certain rules without repercussion and with such Slayers taking charge over his whereabouts, to some extent he could too.

His main contacts were with the Slayer of the Sun, though he had never met the man more than twice face to face. Somehow, Reborn's messages were always waiting for him and Mukuro-u, his familiar, could always find him. Reborn understood and accepted his specific policy when it came to Slayer jobs and only ever gave him the most gruesome of monsters to slay.

He supposed he was slightly indebted to the man after all this time.

Continuing along the road for the rest of the day, only taking a short break to stretch his legs, his prediction came to be true as he estimated about two more hours of sunlight left when the treetops of Namimori Woods became visible in the distance. Snapping the reins of his horse, he observed the imposing woods as he traveled closer.

The trees were massive and tall, thick foliage sheltering the forest floor from the sunlight. It certainly was an old forest. And all old things carried power in them. Too many experiences lingered for there not to be.

Mukuro led his horse through the winding forest pathway, shadows and shards of light flitting over his cloak and dancing on the ground as the wind blew gently through the leaves. It was peaceful, despite the forest's sheer size and natural presence. Bird calls sang out in the evening air and Mukuro felt a little of that peace soothe him after a long day of riding.

However night was falling fast and he didn't like to risk even minor issues so risking his life in the night of a foreign forest with a monster he only had a vague letter's worth of information about was out of the question. Deciding he would savor the moment another time he snapped the reins again and sent his horse into a full-on run. With luck he would reach the forest village within the next half-hour, before the sun would set.

If the Slayer had looked back, he might have had the chance to see his target. A thin figure darted out of the trees and paused in the middle of the road, staring after him with wary, hostile eyes before glaring off to the side at a nearby rustle. The twitching ears atop it's head reacted too and the creature growled lowly as it lunged back into the forest and the source of the noise, leaving empty silence in it's wake.

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Mukuro passed through the gates marked _Namimori_, glancing around. It was a quaint place for certain, cabins dotting the large clearing, what appeared to be a tavern and an inn next to it. A mill was off on the other side and he heard the distinct sound of farm animals somewhere out of sight. The smell of fresh pine was heavy in the air, more so than in the actual forest. The reason, he saw only because he had an idea of what to look for. Stumps of trees were ringed around the village's borders, half-built skeletons he now noticed peeked out in the distance.

Observing the people around the village as he slid off of his horse, he noticed that anyone who glanced at him, stopped to stare.

The hopeful relief that most Slayers were greeted with was replaced by awe or merely shock due to his cloak. Then again, few could imagine a 'cute, young girl' as a Slayer. Clearly they had never heard of the Arcobaleno Slayer of the Sky.

Laughing to himself at the thought of the woman he had only heard stories about revealing herself as a Slayer to the mass public, he saw a young man, blush noticeable even in the torchlight scattered about the village, approaching from a stable.

"Ah, excuse me, miss. Shall I take your horse for you?" The young man said politely and Mukuro smiled sweetly in Nagi's guise, slipping his pack off of the mare and over his shoulder, trident in hand.

"Thank you, please treat her well, she's travelled all day." He was sincere in these words. He wouldn't be happy to find his faithful mare sick or weak by the end of this job.

The young man smiled, taking the reins in hand. Mukuro watched the young man stand in place for a moment, seemingly fighting with himself about something Mukuro could nearly read in his face. Mukuro waited, amusement coloring with just a bit of impatience as the young man moved to opening and closing his mouth nervously.

'_My dear Nagi. Look what you've done to the poor boy._' He mused to himself. Deciding that this was only a waste of his time and the hour was only getting later, he turned on his heel with a sweet smile and headed for the inn.

He ignored the stares, already familiar with the weight of foreign eyes both good and bad. They stared because he was a Slayer, that wasn't bad at all. Mukuro reached the inn doors and paused, looking back. While a few eyes remained on him, a majority of the villagers had returned to whatever duties they had to perform for the night. Though Nagi's face was as serene as ever, Mukuro narrowed his eyes as he watched. Something touched at the edge of his senses, something just a little askew…

The door was pulled back from under his fingers and Mukuro turned with a polite smile plastered on his lips that widened when he took in who was standing there. The man before him was certainly the Mayor. While he had seen what amounted to normal forest-dwelling villager garments on everyone else, this man was wearing what amounted to a fairly cheap pin-striped suit that seemed laughably out of place. Slightly round in body and face, he looked undeniably surprised to see him, or rather her, standing in his path.

"Ah, would you be…" He stammered, realization coming in slowly.

"I am Chrome Dokuro, a Slayer." He recited, watching a flicker of a frown on the Mayor's face.

"Chrome Dokuro? I thought we contacted Rokudo Mukuro." Hayashi muttered to himself before smiling apologetically, "I'm sorry I really don't think that a young girl like yourself can handle this kind of Monster. Wouldn't you please send for Mukuro right away?"

Mukuro twisted Nagi's expression into one of slight guilt and impressing upset, "Sir, Rokudo Mukuro sent me here trusting I could take care of it. He expects me too."

As he expected, the elder man reeled back slightly, averting his eyes for a moment before giving another smile, though hesitant, and waved a hand inside, "W-Well, yes, I suppose if he sent you, you must be able to handle it just fine. Please come in, we've prepared a room for you."

"Thank you very much, sir."

The little inn was moderately sized but more akin to a small house than an inn. He was shown to a room on the second story and it fit the description of a spare bedroom. Hayashi hovered in the doorway, still watching Chrome with hesitant eyes as Mukuro moved around the room, depositing his bag on the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed, draping the folds of his red cloak over Nagi's exposed legs, after taking in the room. It would be his home for the next few days after all. Perhaps more if this vicious werewolf was truly as dangerous as made out to him.

On that thought, he looked over at Hayashi, "Shall we discuss this Monster that plagues you, sir?"

Hayashi jumped before his demeanor seemed to darken and he stepped inside the room, dropping heavily into the armchair on the other side of the room. Mukuro studied the man as he began to speak, "A plague is right. It is a vicious creature, Miss Chrome. Truly a frightening thing. It's killed seven of our village's huntsman in the past two years. We fear it will attack our children as well."

"When were you first aware of this Monster's existence?" Mukuro questioned.

"Looking back, it must be about ten years now." Hayashi sighed.

"Ten years? And it is only attacking you now?" Mukuro fired back immediately. Not actually intending to be rude, but considering how most Monster's acted, an eight year gap of no killings was a very rare thing indeed. In fact, it raised quite a few questions.

"Well, we never actually had any solid proof it existed until about two years ago. Only rumors some of the younger huntsman would come back with saying they saw a Monster out in the forest." Hayashi answered, "We took it to overactive imaginations. Then about two years ago I saw it myself. The game in the forest quite scarce since then and we took a large hunting party into the forest. We separated and heard a shot so we went to find out what we'd caught for the night. I found Jun with a gap in his throat and his guts spilling out of his belly. The Monster was standing over him, right out of a nightmare, bloodied fangs and claws… we eventually chased it off. We guessed Jun had shot the mangled deer we found a few feet away and the Monster was attracted to the scent of it's blood."

Mukuro absorbed the story and even after Hayashi stopped speaking, he was silent. Jun suffered a cruel death indeed and the story was by all accounts quite believable. Many humans lost their lives simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jun was just one more.

However, the time gap between rumors and actual killings was oddly long. No matter. It had killed humans, apparently quite gruesomely. That was enough for Mukuro to decide the assignment was worth his time.

"Very well, sir. I will begin my hunt for the Monster tomorrow morning. If it isn't too much trouble could you please prepare a food satchel for a week-long trip into the woods?"

Hayashi looked up in surprise before nodding, pleased, "Of course. Thank you for your help, Miss Chrome." He stood, brushing imaginary dirt from his trousers. "I will leave you to your sleep. Simply ask Azumi for your satchel in the morning."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

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The forest was truly beautiful in the pale morning light. Hood on and cloak secured with his satchel of food on his back, Mukuro had been exploring the forest for at least two hours, familiarizing himself with the area he entered. Namimori Village was small, if expanding, but the Namimori Forest was a monster in its size. It stretched for a good few miles in all directions and it was surrounded by grasslands for nearly twice as long. With the exception of Kokuyo Village which lay only a day away, it quite far removed from civilization.

Which made it a prime location for two reasons. It removed it from the ever industrial drive of humanity. It also made a good hiding place for Monsters.

The energy within the trees was powerful, if intangible and untouchable to human beings. He had no doubt that a truly powerful Monster could be born here.

It was one of the supposed origins of the Monsters that roamed their world. Perhaps a human gets lost in a place where such arcane power exists and for whatever reason, an unlucky few _change_. No one knew why certain people were more susceptible to the mutation into Monsters. Scientists like the Slayer of Lightening had spent decades attempting to isolate the cause but even he was having little success. Only that some people were vulnerable to the energies rich in certain places in the world and that vulnerability changed something in them.

However, as with Mukuro's penchant for only hunting the most violent of Monsters, not all Monsters were equal. Many mutated into grotesque or unnatural forms of existing animals, some a mixture of different species, and even some that retained a physical human trait or two. Then there was the rarest type of Monster, one that was mostly human physically but with a variety of mutated changes. However, the type isn't what made them dangerous. It was what remained of their mind after the mutations.

Since an actual mutation had never been witnessed, or the witness able to live to tell it, no one was sure what specifically made them go insane. But those were the most dangerous, the ones who lose their minds and can no longer locate their humanity. Nearly every Monster fell into this category, some more than others. Bloodthirsty creatures that lived to gouge and crush anything in their path.

But not all Monsters lost their ability to think rationally. They were by no stretch _human_ any more, but their minds, a set of morals, and the ability to rationalize set them apart.

Mukuro knew this better than anyone. Memories of his two friends, Ken and Chikusa, were more than enough to remind him that appearances often meant nothing. He looked back in the general direction of the village and smiled wryly. That village was another example.

Still, it wasn't the village he was here for. He was here for a dangerous Monster. Mukuro set out again, intent on mapping out a good radius around the village before venturing any deeper into the forest. He didn't plan on returning to the village for a while.

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**A/N**: Mukuro, while disguised as Chrome and in another person's company, meshes both his and her personality together. So yes he may seem a little OOC, but without the disguise he drops the pretense. I didn't want people to think that I confused their personalities or anything.


End file.
